Gates hopes to keep momentum going on a number of Fort Erie issues

Wayne Gates has his sights set on a number of Fort Erie issues if he is re-elected to Queen’s Park in the next provincial election.

While no date has been set by Premier Doug Ford, Gates was named the NDP candidate last week, seeking a fourth term as the MPP for the Niagara Falls riding, which covers Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Fighting to keep the Douglas Memorial urgent care centre open is a key Fort Erie issue, he told Fort Erie Radio in a recent interview.

“We must continue to put pressure on the government, which I’ve been trying to do in the last little while,” he said, also noting roles played by Mayor Wayne Redekop and the Town of Fort Erie, as well as a grassroots group fighting to keep the site alive.

Gates used a recent trip from St. Catharines to Fort Erie last weekend as an example of why the government needs to pay attention to the healthcare needs of local residents, travelling the QEW without any significant weather until he hit Sodom Road.

People, especially seniors, having to drive in inclement weather to seek care or visit loved ones is something Fort Erie residents have to deal with more than others.

“That’s another reason the government should be taking a look at Fort Erie,” said Gates.

He also noted that 25 per cent of the local population, which adds up to 12,000 people, do not have a family doctor.

He said a nurse practitioner program could be implemented into what’s offered at Douglas Memorial.

According to Gates, the Fort Erie Race Track enjoyed its second-highest year for wagering in its 128-year existence.

He said the slots need to return and that he will be petitioning the province to continue providing funding to the track, adding that an agreement in place for the last few years will expire in 2025.

“I think that’s a way to make the Fort Erie Race Track prosper over the next number of years,” he said.

Housing for seniors is also an issue, said Gates, who has been pushing for the province to get involved in a $28-million project being undertaken by Lions Douglas Heights Seniors Residence Inc., an extension of the local Lions Club, to build a new and affordable 62-unit development.

At the Lions Douglas Heights launch event about three months ago, Gates said “the province needs to come to the table” to cover some of the costs.

Seniors represent 45 per cent of Fort Erie’s population and that number is expected to grow to 50 per cent by 2041, said Gates.

There is “no reason to call an election” ahead of 2026, which is when one would need to be held, as an early election in 2025 would cost about $300 million, according to Gates.

“There’s so many better places to spend that kind of money,” said Gates.

Before being elected as MPP in 2014, Gates served as a city councillor in Niagara Falls.

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